THE TEACHING OF SHRI SAI BABA

Sai Baba of Shirdi in simple but superior in the hearts of Sai devotees. He is humble but have a high place in the life of Sai devotees. Sai Baba is the epitome of reverence a guiding force who generates supreme faith and confidence among his devotees looking for salvation and quest of coming out of the drudgery of living. As a drive mother he is saturated with love for those who seek him. With his mission of making people about the drive consciousness and transcending the limits of mortal body, his teaching are guiding his devotee to the path of salvation. Among the teaching of Sai Baba of Shirdi there are the cardinal principles of Sai path called 'Shraddha' and 'Saburi'. Sai Baba looks for these two qualities in the devotees. Here are the teaching and philosophies of Sai Baba of Shirdi.

SHRADDHA
'Shraddha' is a Sanskriti word, which roughly means faith with love. Such faith or trust is generated out of conviction, which may not be the result of any rational belief or intellectual wisdom, but a spiritual inspiration. According to Sai Baba of Shirdi, steadfast love in god is the gateway to eternity. Baba's teaching, both direct and indirect explicate the significance of 'Shraddha'. Baba reiterates the spiritual. Guidance of Shri Krishna to Arjun-“whosoever offer to me with love or devotion, a leaf, a flower, a fruit or water, that offering of pure love is readily accepted by me'.

SABURI
'Saburi; means patience and perseverance. Saburi is a quality needed throughout the path to reach the goal. This quality must be ingrained in a seeker from day one, l east he looses his stride and leaves the path half way.
PURITY
For Sai Baba it was not the purity of the body but inner purity that mattered. No amount of physical and external cleansing would serve any purpose if the man remained impure in mind and heart. Therefore, Baba cautioned his devotees not to make austerity as an end itself. Lest they should indulge in physical mortification. We should be clear at heart not to hurt other by doing evil. Party of mind gives the strength to do good deeds

COMPASSION
Sai Baba himself was an epitome of compassion and love and he taught compassion among his disciples. Baba often told his devotees, 'never turn away “. He asked for complete surrender to the 'guru'.

COMPLETE SURRENDER TO THE GURU
Sai Baba put guru on a high pedestal of reverence. For him guru was the profound base of the path of devotion. Pointing to his physical frame, “This body is my house. I am not here my guru (master) has taken me away “. He asked for complete surrender to the 'guru'. Udi or the sacred ash was produced from the perpetual fire called 'Dhuni' lit by Sai Baba in Dwarkamai at Shirdi. Explaining the meaning of life he would refer to Udi and taught that like Udi all the visible phenomena in the world are transient. Through this example Sai Baba wished to maker his devotees understand the sense of discrimination between the unreal and the real. Udi taught the devotees discrimination or Vivek.

TEACHING THROUGH 'DAKSHINA'
Sai Baba would demand 'Dakshina' or alms from those who visited him. This explained the sense of non-attachment to worldly things. Hence Dakshina taught the devotees non- attachment or vairagya.

TEACHING THROUGH 'UDI'
Udi or the sacred ash was produced from the perpetual fire called 'Dhuni' lit by Sai Baba in Dwarkamai at Shirdi. Explaining the meaning of life he would refer to Udi and taught that like Udi all the visible phenomena in the world are transient. Through this example Sai Baba wished to maker his devotees understand the sense of discrimination between the unreal and the real. Udi taught the devotees discrimination or Vivek.

SHIRDI-DARSHAN IMPORTANT TIPS TO SAI DEVOTEES

1. For proper guidance and assistance to the devotees, Reception centre has been opened opposite the S. T. Bus stand.
2. On arrival at Shirdi, devotees should immediately get in touch with the above-mentioned Reception centre of the Sansthan and should thereafter proceed to the Enquiry office for booking their accommodation, which is made available after registration of name and other particulars.
3. Occupied room/s should be locked before going out.
4. If the accommodation provided is in the common hall, luggage should always be left in charge of a member of the party to safeguard it from antisocial elements.
5. A locker is available at nominal charge and against a deposit, which may be booked at the Enquiry office, and used for keeping luggage or any other valuables.
6. Care should be taken not to leave any belongings behind in the toilets and the bathrooms.
7. As the Samadhi Mandir is overcrowded at the time of Aarati, devotees should safeguard their ornaments and purses from pickpocket and mind their children.
8. Devotees should note that all religious functions and Pooja's in the Sansthan premises are to be arranged and performed through the office of the Sansthan. Necessary payments for these are to be made at the office against a receipt. Boxes have been provided by the Sansthan in the Mandir itself to receive the devotees' offerings by way of Dakshina and Hundis.
9. Offering to Shri Sai Baba in cash or kind should always be made at the office against a receipt.
10. Devotees should bear in mind that Baba left no heirs or disciples and should guard themselves against such deception practised by impostors.
11. As all the necessary assistance and guidance is readily available to the devotees at the Reception centre of the Sansthan, assistance from unauthorised guides at the S. T. stand, if taken by the devotees, will be at their own risk.
 12. Literature about Shri Sai Baba containing authentic information in various languages has been published by the Sansthan at reasonable prices and is readily available at its Bookshops near the Samadhi Mandir.
13. A complaint/suggestion book is always kept in the office for the use by the devotees, in which they are requested to write clearly their complaints/suggestions along with their full names and addresses. The Sansthan authorities take due note of such complaints/suggestions.
14. Donations should always be sent by Money Orders, Postal Orders, Crossed and A/c. Payee Cheques or Drafts to ensure safe delivery of the same. Do not send cash or currency notes in postal envelopes.
15. As the various dealers and vendors of Pooja articles are not connected with the Sansthan, devotees should first fix the price before buying these articles to avoid any trouble thereafter.
16. All donations for oil for the Nanda-deep and for firewood for Dhuni in the Dwarkamai are to be given in the Accounts office only. Further details regarding these can be obtained from the Temple- in-charge.
17. Devotees desirous of feeding the poor can arrange to do so against cash payments to be made to the Prasadalaya itself or the Account office. Coupons are not accepted for this purpose.
18. Devotees desirous of distributing alms to beggars can do so only in the beggars' shed, near Prasadalaya with the help of the Securityofficer.
19. Devotees making correspondence should give their complete and correct addresses.
20. Devotees are requested to avail of the facilities at the Tea canteen and Prasadalaya run by the Sansthan where tea and meals are served at subsidised rates.
21. Medical facilities are available at the well-equipped 'Shri Sainath Hospital' run by the Shirdi Sansthan.
22. The Sansthan has not appointed any representative for the purpose of collecting donations in cash or otherwise. Devotees are informed that no donations either in cash or otherwise should be given to anybody personally. This is to avoid deceit as well as to prevent devotees from being cheated by unscruplous elements.

PRASADALAYA FOR SAI DEVOTEES

    Shri Saibaba Sansthan's prasadalaya is a place for the Sai Devotees. On an average 15 to 20 thousand devotees take their lunch daily. The number increases to around 35 to 50 thousand during a holiday or festival. Lunch includes 2 vegetables, chapattis, daal, and basmati rice & coconut burfee. The prasadalaya operates from 10.00a.m to 10.00 p.m. Adults are charged Rs.5/- while children are charged Rs.2/- for the lunch. Considering the day-to-day increase devotees flocking to Shirdi, the Sansthan constructed a bigger prasadalaya, which can accommodate around 6,000 devotees at time. This is the biggest religious prasadalaya in the country. The Sansthan has constructed this huge single storeyed building on 7-acre land at a cost of Rs.20 crores. It has a large hall admeasuring 44,567 sq.feet, which can accommodate around 3,500 devotees at a time. Latest equipments are used and facilities provided here. The solar system is also in use for cooking the food. The kitchen and a big hall have been constructed separately for making laddoos and drying them. Besides an office and storage hall have also been provided here. This pradadalaya has been constructed by R.V.R.C.L. INFRESTUCTURE & PROJECT LTD. OF Hyderabad. It was inaugurated by honourable Rashtrapati  Smt. Pratibha Patil.

LODGING, PRASAD, BHOJAN & OTHER FACILITIES
A New Bhakti Niwas has been built up for the lodging of Sai Devotee coming for Sai Baba Samadhi's Darshan. This Bhakti Niwas is situated about 1 km. away from Samadhi Mandir on the Nagpur-Manmad highway. The bus facility has been provided round the clock free of charge by the Sansthan to-and-fro Samadhi Mandir and New Bhakti Niwas 525 rooms have been provided for the devotees in this building. A twenty-four hours enquiry counter is working at the very entrance of the Bhakti Niwas. The rooms are allotted to the Sai devotees by computerized system and the application forms for the rooms are made available here.

SAI PRASAD BHAKT NIWAS
One more lodging premises is available near PRASADALAYA, having 165 rooms. The charges are 100/- per head for 24 hours.

DHARMASHALA
The Dharmashala building is located behind the Sansthan's Shri Sainath Hospital within 5 minutes walking distance. Lodging arrangement is also available here for the Sai devotees.

THE MEDICAL SERVICE AND ASSISTANCE BY SHRI SAINATH HOSPITAL
Every one of us is aware of how Shri Saibaba served the sick people. To fullfill Sai Baba's wishes, the Sansthan has established ‘Sainath hospital’ in Shirdi. The hospital has become a source of help for the needy and poor patients in and around Shirdi. Nearly 1000 patients take the medical treatment everyday. About 200 patient ailing from various diseases are admitted here for treatment. Sainath hospital provides all the medical treatment to various patients at reasonable rates. There are specialist doctors for various types of human ailments. Hospital also has modern machinery needed by the doctor to check different ailments of the patients. Taking into consideration in the increase of needs of hospital, the board of management has taken care that modern service is extended. Dialysis machine, Artificial respirations, Radiant heat warmer, therapy unit, baby incubators for paediatric department etc. have been installed for complete service of the patient. Overall, all the hospital has been provide with modern gadgets. Every year, the Sainath hospital organize various social camps like “Jaipur foot distribution camps “and” eye check-up and surgery“etc. The Sansthan has also opened a bank, where poor patient can avail benefits. This bank provides blood bags at cheaper rates. The hospital extends the latest modern facilities to the patients. It is well-equipped with various medical departments like I.C.C.U., X-ray dept., check-up dept., Gynaec Dept., Ayurvedic Dept., Orthopeadic dept., Homeopathic Dept., Dental Dept., Paediatrics Dept., Pathological Laboratory. In order to provide medicines to the pediatrics dept., pathological laboratory, medicines to the patients, the Sansthan has installed an independent medical store. One can get medicines of all types. The hospital also provides two free meals to all the patients. The Sansthan has also arranged a mobile medical van, to go around the villages of Shirdi on every Tuesday and Thursday. They said van can provide medicine to the patient free of cost and the team of the van checks if the patient requires further check-up, then such patient is brought to the hospital in ambulance Hospital has 4 ambulance for the service of the patients, which is provided to them immediately whenever required, at reasonable rates.

CANTEEN DEPT.
The canteen dept. is situated in Sai prasad building. The devotees are provided Tea, Coffee and Milk on subsidized rates Canteen is open for the devotees round the clock. The Laddoo Prasad and snack packets are provided by the canteen for the devotees.

SHRI SAIBABA (super specialty) HOSPITAL
Considering the needs of people of rural area, the Sai Baba Sansthan trust started this hospital at a cost of Rs. 40 crores with a capacity of 206 beds, which has super special facilities. It has almost all the latest modern medical equipments & facilities like  heart diseases related cardiology, cardio-therapy surgery, Dialysis for kidney ailment, Cataract surgery for eye-related ailments, Pheochoimslifire surgery (for Cataract) additional facility for orthopedic, physiotherapy neuro surgery, cancer surgery, C.T.scan, latest sonography like color
Doppler, stress test, auto analyzer. The patients are operated with the help of such-state- of-the art machinery. The hospital also has the facilities of M.R.I. test. Initially the lab dept. was commenced here. The patient need not go for Angioplasty. Till now thousands of patients have availed the facility of Anglography, B.M.V. and complicated bypass surgery. Recently dental dept. and cancer dept. have also commenced in this hospital. Latest and modern dental chair, X-ray machine, intra-oral camera have been provided for the dental dept., of this specialty hospital. Besides, computerized medical check-up, medical history of patient-data are also preserved and the patient are guided and treated according by Further, broken jaws due to accident, operation of wisdom-tooth, setting of teeth canal of the teeth etc. facilities are also available here. The public health dept of Maharashtra govt. has its letter no. Jeeaayo /2607 /35/ pra/ kra/1 7/ aarogya-3, Mantralaya, Mumbai 400032 dated 19th April accorded this hospital grade of life saving unit. Hence, patients from the low-income group get concession for the heart accorded this hospital grade of life saving unit. Hence, patients from the low-income group get concession for the operation. This super specialty hospital has attained new life.

FINANCIAL HELP TO THE NEEDY PATIENTS
The Sansthan extends financial help to the poor and needy persons for the treatment of incurable and expensive ailments related to cancer and kidney. The Sansthan also helps patient from lower income group who are taking treatment from NGOs, private or GOVT. hospitals. Such help from the Sansthan is accepted as “Sai prasad”. And hence innumerable applications are received by the Sansthan for the help. Either 15%or an amount of 20.000/- whichever is less, it is re-imbursed, but not handed over to the patient, given directly by way of a demand draft in the name of the hospital, where the patient is treated.
EDUCATIONAL SERVICES-
Shri Saibaba Sansthan started its first industrial training institute in 1984 followed by Shri Saibaba English medium school in 1990 and then Shri Saibaba Marathi Kanya Mandir in 1993, with an aim to extend good education to the poor students of this area. The I.T.I. provide technical course in 10 trades and 20 division thereof. The result of this organization has always been praiseworthy due to all the facilities provided as per Govt. rules, latest laboratory and trained employees. Due to these reasons, I.T.I. has been given 'A' grade by the administration. As far as the quality is concerned, this Sansthan is on the TOP. The Sansthan provides food on concessional rates to the students. Considering the need of the day, and with an aim to provide education in English to the village students, Shri Sai Baba English medium school has been founded in this complex. Presently 1109 students are taking education here. Whereas Shri Saibaba (Marathi) Kanya Vidya Mandir has 1286 girl on its roll. These girls are  provided education absolutely free. Junior arts, commerce and Science College have also come up in the year 2005.

SAI BABA PREACHED HUMANISM AND UNIVERSAL BROTHERHOOD

    The divine role of Sai Baba of Shirdi through his physical presence covered a period of about 64 years between 1854, when he made his first appearance in Shirdi, and 1918 when he left his body. However, his sixty years of stay at Shirdi on his second appearance between 1858 and 1918 manifested the depth and expansiveness of his unique role. India was in a cross - road of cultural and religious mix. Religious and cultural intolerance were on a rampant growth. It could not have been possible for any one to bring about harmony among the divergent religious, cultural groups in such a situation. It was only a God in human form who could accomplish the task of bringing unity between the different religious and social groups. Sai Baba was really the God who descended on earth, and had large number of Hindu, Christian, Sikh, Parsee, and Muslim devotees spread all over the world. He treated all alike. Under his cover, both the Hindus and Muslims happily took part in each other's religious festivals. He had introduced the tradition of group worship, group prayer and group dinning for all and would share his 'chillum' (tobacco pipe) with all. He even showed highest compassion for animals and birds, and encouraged his devotees to feed and take care of them.
    Sai Baba founded no religion or sect, developed no trademark, started no movement, initiated not a single disciple, and left behind no apostles. He simply practiced and preached humanism and universal brotherhood, and established the superiority of love and compassion above egoism. He taught simplicity of livelihood and excellence of human virtue reflected in day-to-day conduct. Significantly, the Shirdi phenomenon defies easy explanation. It perhaps owes itself to the will of Baba himself, Who is considered an Avatar of no less than the Almighty.
    Today, the mundane world is looking ahead for a magical solution to its problems of cultural, racial, national and religious differentiation. All intellectual exercises to bring about peace in the world and happiness to mankind have failed for these efforts are not based on humanism, universalism and love as taught by Sai Baba. With his captivating teachings he rules the heart of millions of his devotees, whose number is ever growing with each passing day. The ever growing number of Sai temples and devotees of Baba in India and abroad establishes the ever- increasing relevance of his preaching today. What Baba preached was actually quite simple. According to him, real sorrow is the cycle of birth and death and the real happiness is liberation. He suggested: -

 Accept your lot cheerfully. If you acquire wealth, become humble the way a tree laden with fruit bows down. Money is a necessity, but don't get obsessed with it. Yet, don't be a miser, be generous.
    Perform your duty conscientiously and with detachment, not regarding yourself as the doer. Surrender the fruit of action to God, so that action does not bind you. It is ties of indebtedness from previous births, which bring human and other beings together. Give reins to the negative states (avariciousness, anger, hatred, pride, etc.) only as much as is essential to go through the Karma earmarked for this physical existence. To steady the mind, idol worship is a way, even though the idol is not God. If you do Pooja with devotion and emotion, you can concentrate better.
     Herculean effort is necessary for God-realization. There are four elements in Sadhana: Discrimination between the eternal and the ephemeral : that Brahman alone is true, the world is not. Next, renouncing all desire about this life or the thereafter. The third is to inculcate these qualities: control of the mind, bearing without anguish the fated pain and sorrow, remaining ensnared by Maya, knowing that money, wife, children and relatives are all ephemeral. The fourth is an intense desire for liberation.
    Though Sai as a human embodiment is gone, His spirit remains. Although his body cannot be seen, yet the magnetic pull of his Divine Soul is felt by all those who merely think of him and particularly, those who visit his Samadhi (Tomb) at Shirdi. Baba had promised that whosoever would put his feet on the soil of Shirdi, his miseries would end.
    All devotees of Baba find his promise come true, even after he left his mortal coil. Baba used to call his devotees as children, and like the true father, kept them busy day-in and day-out for their temporal as well as spiritual enlistment. In today's world his children, torn asunder by religious, social and sectarian strife, should run to him to experience that love which can only unite them. The lesson has been preached him. It is for us to practice to make the world a paradise to live.

THE VANITY IS APPARENT BLOCK FOR SPIRITUAL PROGRESS

    We human live in vanity. There is vanity lurking in different form. This vanity is an apparent block for spiritual progress of one's being.
    Vanity in non spiritual subjects is often seen and discussed about, however vanity for a spiritual seeker, or a religious mind, or a devotee has to be given up for healthy spiritual growth.
    Sai Baba often discouraged vanity, for those who left the vanity were lucky enough to get the divine love and help of Sai Baba. Those who did not left with their vanity with them. This reminds of a statement of Sai Baba. He once said in symbolic statement, as He most often did, that people come to the one who gives water in abundant, but most of them come with the pots upside down and leave without the water.
    The water being the divine love and grace. Mouth down of the pots being the vanity absence of humbleness. One classic example of this is of Haji Siddik Falke. Haji Siddik Falke had done the pilgrimage of Mecca. The spiritual dream of every Muslim. Haji Siddik had interest in spirituality, but had this vanity of being a Haji (one who has done the pilgrimage of Holy Mecca).
    He had a deep desire of being close to Sai Baba and be in His divine grace and love. He visited Shirdi but was not allowed to climb the stairs of holy Dwarkamai. Although there was vanity he had one great quality that Sai Baba always asks from His devotees Saburi (patience) along with SHARDHA (Faith). Sai Baba's denial did not deter his Faith and he had perseverance. He lived in Northward facing Chavadi and waited for 9 months. Those nine months for a lover of divine must have been really long as time is relative. When one is away from something one loves, it is really long. For nine long months he would try different ways to enter the Masjid (Mosque) but Sai Baba would not even give a glance on him.
    He tried to get the entrance in Sai Baba's Durbar through SHAMA “Madhavrao Deshpande” Shama was one devotee whose requests were seldom neglected by Sai Baba. For reasons known to Sai Baba, Shama shared a rarest and close relationship with Sai Baba. Those who wanted to have a quiet undisturbed conversation with Sai Baba would always take Shama with them initially. He would then introduce the topics in soft devotional tone to Sai Baba as to who had come and the topic that would be liked to discuss.
    Accordingly on suitable moment Shama entered the Masjid and brought about the topic rather slowly and cautiously, 'Baba, that old man is so sad, so distressed! Oh why don't you oblige him? That Haji has been to Mecca-Madina and now has come to Shirdi for your darshan. How can you not feel compasion for him? Oh, please allow him to come to the mosque! Countless people come, take darshan in the mosque, returning instantaneously. Why then is he singled out and waste away on languor? Do be kind and compassionate to him, at last, and let him come to the mosque. Then he will be able to say to You what he wishes and go away immediately. Sai Baba responded, "Shama, you are new born infant, as yet.! Unless Allah favours him what can I do? Can anyone step up to this mosque without being Allahmiya's debtor? Inscrutable are the ways of this Fakir here. Over Him, I have no control. All the same go and ask him clearly if he is willing to carefully walk up the narrow path which, goes straight, beyond the well Baravi.
    This again might be the symbolic language that the perfect Sufi Master, the gracious Sai Baba used. The path of spirituality is narrow. Mind should not be allowed to dwell on other subjects, if it has to get soaked in divine spiritual love.
    Haji's reply was appropriate, 'However difficult it may be, I shall carefully tread the path. Then he asks for the most important and essential for the spiritual progress. He continued, 'But give me personal audience, O Sai: let me sit at your feet.’
    Listening to the answer Sai Baba sent Shama with another query, "Ask him further, 'Will you give me 40 thousand Rupees in 4 installments?'”
    Again Sai Baba obviously was not asking for money in currency. He was asking if Haji was ready to do whatever He asked for to progress on spiritual path. Forty thousand Rupees was a huge amount in those days and indicated that much would be required, in installments. This also reminds of Sai Baba's indicating words to another seeker of truth or divinity. Sai Baba while eating Bhakhar (Indian bread) said that One cannot eat whole bhakhar one at a time, it has to be eaten morsel after morsel. This was the response from Sai Baba as the question had arosed in the devotee's mind of when he will achieve the ultimate goal of merging in the divine.
    Haji said to Madhavrao who conveyed this message, 'Oh, Will I not give forty Lakhs (4,00,000) when asked? What then of thousands!”
    Haji indicated that he was ready to pay any amount of dedication. On hearing this from Shama, Sai Baba sent a further query, "We intend to kill a goat in the Majid today. Ask him which part of the meat does he wants." Does he want the meat-covered bones, or is his heart set on having sex organs? Go ask the old fellow what it is that he definitely wants.
    This query indicated, what worldly pleasure he was looking for or his heart was set on. Madhavrao again conveyed the message to Haji. Haji replied categorically, ' I want none of it.' If He wishes to give me something, then i have only one wish -- that even I get a morsel from that earthen vessel of food, I shall be blessed.’
    Haji indicated that all he wanted was the divine and gracious presence of Sai Baba fills him up. Madhavrao duly conveyed this message to the Sadguru Sri Sai Baba. As Sai Baba herd this he flew into rage. He himself picked up the earthen vessel of food and the pitchers of water and flung them out of the door ( Inscrutable are the ways of this Fakir here.). Catching His kafni with both His hands, He lifted it up in front of Haji and said, "Who do you think you are that you boast vainly in my presence? You are flaunting the wisdom of your old age! Is this how you read your Quran -- that a pilgrimage of to Mecca has made you so proud and haughty? But do you know me yet!”
    Sai Baba seemed to work against the vanity of scholarship, and the pride of the pilgrimage to Mecca.
    He reviled him thus, hurled at him unutterable abuses! The old Haji was absolutely stunned! Sai Baba then went back.
    As Sai Baba entered the courtyard of Masjid, He bought entire baskets of mangoes from farmwomen selling mangoes, and sent them all to the Haji. At once He turned back and went to Haji, took his hand and taking out coins from His pocket counted them one by one on the palm of Haji until it was 55.
    The divine relation between the guru and shishya (the master and the disciple) started thereafter. Haji mind was absorbed in divine love and experienced pure joy.
    Later Haji left Shirdi only to return back. The affection and attachment Sai Baba, the divine, that frees one from every attachments grew stronger.

Make Your Life Meaningful With Shraddha And Saburi

    The Sage of Shirdi, the Sai Baba, emphasized two virtues for well-being: faith or Shraddha and patience or Saburi. The two virtues are complementary.
    Each of it is both, the cause as well as the effect of the other; and both are the means as well as the end of the other. Between them they contain a complete code of conduct for life. Shraddha is devotion. It is faith that helps one accept all happenings  the good and bad  with equanimity. Faith is what makes a disciple trust his guru and a child, its parent. Saburi or patience is not just the ability to overcome the urge for instant gratification. Patience is not the art of ad hoc management of mental restlessness. Patience is the intuition that inspires you to just be and wait for the will of God to unfold and work itself out. Patience helps you to live uncomplainingly, and so you are able to accept without anger what you know cannot be changed.  Patience is what enables a tree to let all its leaves fall without demur. The tree stands denuded, without a sense of shame, despondency or heartbreak. It stands as comfortably as ever. It lets the sun, the air, the rain and the season to work their magic. They denude it; they later laden it. The tree surrenders to them, not out of helplessness but out of natural design. When the season turns, tender new leaves dress it with flowers and fruits in due course. Patience is not to stoically brave winter in the hope of spring; rather, it is to accept spring and winter alike. It is to surrender with a joyous heart to the will of God as represented by the current moment and condition. Faith is the insight that tells you that patience and surrender to the will of God is the best course your life can take. Wisdom is in understanding and valuing both faith and patience. Patience is born of faith and in due course it serves to strengthen faith. If patience and faith are so intricately woven, why did the sage emphasize these as two virtues? Why did he not advocate either this one or that? If faith is exclusively emphasized, it can promote blind belief. On the other hand, if patience is singularly emphasized, it can lead to the shirking of responsibility and indolence. Patience without faith can become sloth. Faith minus patience can turn banal. Either way, the result will be counterproductive. In tandem, the two virtues uplift. If both patience and faith are required, which among these comes first? Where does one begin? Asking which came first, patience or faith, is very similar to asking which came first, the egg or the chicken? It perhaps depends on an individual's spiritual configuration as to which path suits his psyche best: faith or patience. Whichever route one may begin with, the two paths keep twinning and finally the two converge towards a common goal. Does patience of the tree-type not kill enterprise? Surely not! Otherwise the tree would never grow and bring forth its wonderful flowers and fruits! Yet, yes: patience and faith, as they mature and begin to lodge in one's mind, kill such enterprise as is inspired by sheer greed for material gain, unrelated to honest need.
Greed is contra life and nature. Is there any religion anywhere in the world that has upheld greedy enterprise and glorified it? No tree competes with its neighbors to double its output just to outperform the other. The supreme enterprise in life is self-realization. Patience and faith proactively support this enterprise.

No doubt, human history is full of good and bad deeds. After reading history & we will conclude that it is only because of our greed, our ego, our disbelief, and our impatience that we have had so much bloodshed. We created religion according to our belief but question is this does any of the religion teach us to fight, quarrel or harm anyone? Do these religions teach us that we have to satisfy an individual's ego? Have any of the humans who has caused bloodshed or for that matter harmed others, succeeded? They have failed miserably.

But Sai Baba Mantra of SHRADHA and SABURI gives us the power to face all the ups and downs of life. To start with never forget to offer your prayers every morning and evening to SAI BABA. You can pray as per your own way or method. There is no prescribed format for prayer to be done for SAI BABA. In Baba's words, he likes your faith in him more rather than the method of prayer. Always make it a point to meditate after your prayer or any time found suitable. While meditating, it is necessary that you see the world becoming idyllic. See peace and love flowing like waterfall from Baba's lotus hands and feet, see it and feel it everywhere around you and in you.

Shri Guru Nanak Dev ji Apostle of peace & communal harmony

`    Sri Guru Nanak Dev ji was born on 15th April 1469 in Talwandi, a village in the Sheikhupura district, 65 kms. West of Lahore. His father Mehta Kalu was a village official in the local revenue administration. Guru Nanak's mother was Tripta and his elder sister's name was Bibi Nanki.
    As a boy, Guru Nanak learnt, besides the regional languages, Persian and Arabic. When Guru Nanak Dev was 12 years old his father gave him twenty rupees and asked him to do a business, apparently to teach him business. Guru Nanak Dev bought food for all the money and distributed among Saints, and poor. When his father asked him what happened to business? He replied that he had done a "True business". Later on at the place where Guru Nanak Dev had fed the poor persons Gurdwara was made and named Sacha Sauda.
    At one time he preferred to dine at the place of a low caste artisan Bhai Lallo, instead of accepting the invitation of a high caste rich landlord Malik Bhago, because the latter lived by exploitation of the poor and the former earned his bread by the sweat of his brow. This incident has been depicted by a symbolic representation of the reason for his preference. Sri Guru Nanak pressed in one hand the coarse loaf of bread from Lallo's hut and in the other the food from Bhago's house. Milk gushed forth from the loaf of Lallo's and blood from the delicacies of Bhago. This prescription for honest work and living and the condemnation of exploitation, coupled with the Guru's dictum that "riches cannot be gathered without sin and evil means," have, from the very beginning, continued to be the basic moral tenet with the Sikh mystics and the Sikh society.
    During his tours, he visited numerous places of Hindu and Muslim worship. He explained and exposed through his preaching the incongruities and fruitlessness of ritualistic and ascetic practices. At Haridwar, when he found people throwing Ganges water towards the sun in the East as oblations to their ancestors in heaven, he started, as a measure of correction, throwing the water towards the West, in the direction of his fields in the Punjab. When ridiculed about his folly, he replied, "If Ganges water will reach your ancestors in heaven, why should the water I throw up not reach my fields in the Punjab, which are far less distant?"
    One thing is very evident. Guru Nanak had a distinct sense of his prophet hood and that his mission was God-ordained. Guru Nanak refers to God as his Enlightener and Teacher. His statements clearly show his belief that God had commanded him to preach an entirely new religion. During a dialogue with the Yogis, he stated that his mission was to help everyone. He came to be called a Guru in his lifetime. In Punjabi, the word Guru means both God and an enlightener or a prophet. During his life his disciples were formed and came to be recognized as a separate community. He was accepted as a new religious prophet. His followers adopted a separate way of greeting each other with the words Sat Kartar (God is true).
    According to the Guru, moral life was the sole medium of spiritual progress. In those times, caste, religious and social distinctions, and the idea of pollution were major problems. Unfortunately, these distinctions had received religious sanction. The problem of poverty and food was another moral challenge. The institution of 'langar' had a twin purpose. As every one sat and ate at the same place and shared the same food, it cut at the root of the evil of caste, class and religious distinctions. Besides, it demolished the idea of pollution of food by the mere presence of an untouchable. Secondly it provided food to the needy. The Guru among all his followers started this institution of langar and pangat wherever they had been organized. It became an integral part of the moral life of the Sikhs.
    Considering that a large number of his followers were of low caste and poor members of society, he, from the very start made it clear that persons who wanted to maintain caste and class distinctions had no place in his system. In fact, the twin duties of sharing one's income with the poor and doing away with social distinctions were the two obligations which every Sikh had to discharge. On this score, he left no option to anyone, since he started his mission with Mardana, a low caste Muslim, as his life long companion. 
    While Guru Nanak was catholic in his criticism of other religions, he was unsparing where he felt it necessary to clarify an issue or to keep his flock away from a wrong practice or prejudice. He categorically attacked all the evil institutions of his time including oppression and barbarity in the political field, corruption among the officials and hypocrisy and greed in the priestly class. He deprecated the degrading practices of inequality in the social field. He criticized and repudiated the scriptures that sanctioned such practices. After having denounced all of them, he took tangible steps to create a society that accepted the religious responsibility of eliminating these evils from the new institutions created by him and of attacking the evil practices and institutions in the social and political fields. It was a fundamental institutional change with the largest dimensions and implications for the future of the community and the country. The very fact that originally poorer classes were attracted to the Gurus, fold shows that they found there a society and a place where they could breathe freely and live with a sense of equality and dignity.
    Dr H.R. Gupta, the well-known historian, writes, "Nanak's religion was above the limits of caste, creed and country”. He gave his love to all, Hindus, Muslims, Indians and foreigners alike.
    The life of Guru Nanak shows that the only interpretation of his thesis and doctrines could be the one, which we have accepted. He expressed his doctrines through the medium of activities. He himself laid the firm foundations of institutions and trends, which flowered and fructified later on. As we do not find a trace of those ideas and institutions in the religious milieu of his time or the religious history of the country, the entirely original and new character of his spiritual system could have only been mystically and prophetically inspired. Apart from the continuation,consolidation and expansion of Guru Nanak's mission, the account that follows seeks to present the major contributions made by the remaining Gurus.
    Guru Nanak's teachings can be found in the Sikh scripture “Shri Guru Granth Sahib”, a vast collection of revelatory verses recorded in Gurmukhi. Through popular tradition, Guru Nanak's teaching is understood to be practiced in three ways:
Naam Japa: Chanting the Holy Name and thus remembering God at all times. (ceaseless devotion to God)
Kirat Karo: Earning/making a living honestly, without exploitation or fraud.
Vand Chakko: Sharing with others, helping those with less who are in need.
So it is not wrong if anyone says that Guru Nanak was an appostle of peace and communal  harmony.